Here is chapter 2
Storiesonline.net ------- Eric Olafson , First Journeys by Vanessa Ravencroft Copyright¬© 2014 by Vanessa Ravencroft ------- Description: Eric leaves his cold water planet to join the United Stars Space Academy to realize his dream to become a Star Ship captain, but nothing is not as he thought it would be... Codes: Heterosexual, TransGender, CrossDressing, Science Fiction, Robot, Extra Sensory Perception, Space, Paranormal ------- ------- Chapter 2: Consequences Tyr's beam burned through my chest. It felt as if my entire torso was on fire, but I was alive. I did not faint or pass out. Instead, fueled by burning rage I ran towards him. His face was pure horror. He still held the small weapon, but he did not fire a third time. I reached him in mere seconds, buried my knee in his groin, and smashed the palm of my hand against his nose with the hope I would shove his nose bone up his brain! I was furious and kept pounding him until strong fists dragged me away. Space port security had arrived and they took me and Tyr into custody. Med bots carried Elena away. I was brought to the clinic, and it turned out that the water-filled plastic bags I had used to simulate boobs had saved my life. The thermo blast’s energy vaporized most of the water and turned it to steam, which had burned my entire chest and face. Elena had suffered a life-threatening trauma, but the fast arrival of the med bots putting her in stasis saved her life. One of the Space port security men turned out to be a former Low man of the Ragnarsson Clan. He talked to me with a snickering cackle in his voice. "I didn't recognize you until I ran your CITI. What a hoot. The hero of Nilfeheim dresses up like slut out for a cheap date on Friday nights! Who would have thought?" I was embarrassed and felt very ashamed. Elena hissed at him. "Did we break any laws?" "I don't know yet. The Chief is reviewing the security footage and is questioning the assailant!" He kept laughing. "This is too funny! You are a joke! Oh man, look at you, fagot[ET1] !" Another security officer entered. "I am sorry we detained you here at the clinic for a little longer. We reviewed the security footage and I interviewed Tyr Olafson. He recognized Elena Olafson and admitted his intent to kill her. He had no knowledge of who you were, Mr. Olafson[ET2] . It all was analyzed by Legal Central, and a Duty Judge on Holstein Court confirmed neither of you have broken any laws. Mr. Olafson acted in self-defense. Tyr Olafson however will be facing serious charges and will see a Union Judge on Holstein Planet. You are, of course, free to go. We will keep you informed in case we need you for the Court procedures." Then he turned asked. "What is so funny, Officer [ET3] [ET4] Ragnarok?" "Chief, [ET5] look at that dressed up Tranny! It's Eric Olafson, the oh so famous Tyranno slayer and world saver!" He slapped his knees. "I can't wait till I tell this to the guys!" "You will do no such thing! Have you forgotten your oath and training? You know you can't discuss duty related things in private and what you are doing right now is highly unprofessional!" "Not to mention illegal!" said the Space port doctor. "What your officer is doing, Chief,[ET6] could be considered cruel and unjustified and I will testify to that as witness if they sue!" "I will take care of this!" the security chief promised. "Since he finds this so funny he will like the idea to be transferred to Pit Moss Planet." To Elena and me the doctor said, "I was informed your grandfather is waiting outside to pick you up!" I looked at Elena and she shrugged. I had no Grandfather, and she did not know hers. I knew Egill called me Grandson because he was a distant relative, but he was on Pluribus as far as I knew. In the waiting room of the Clinic sat the Ancient One, the Old man of Muspelheim[ET7] , and he did not smile or looked pleased at all. "I brought a flyer to the entrance. We can leave when you are ready!" We went out the side door and he rushed us to enter a black Mercedes and I noticed Richard, the swordsman, [ET8] behind the control. Elkhart motioned to the back seats. "Go sit down,[ET9] you two. Richard,[ET10] we are in and ready to leave." Only after the flyer was in the air and he sat across us he explained his serious mood. "Eric,[ET11] did I not tell you to be careful with your desire? I warned you not to go in public like that. It makes no difference to me or to the true keepers living in Muspelheim, but this world is not ready for this. If this becomes public you will ruin everything you have gained! Our population in general has very little tolerance for what they think is not normal." He hushed me as I tried to say something. "I am not done,[ET12] Eric! The practice of killing deformed or otherwise handicapped children is still done here on Nilfeheim. They will try to put Nilfeheim logic to it and perhaps accuse Sif of putting you under some spell to gain her position and subdue the most prominent hero of Nilfeheim." Elkhart sighed and dropped his arms. "You are a celebrity a warrior. The young ones want to emulate you and they play Eric Olafson, fight imaginary Tyrannos and bad space pirates. Can you imagine what Nilfeheim would say if that comes to light? They will ask questions and then find out that you are not really married to Sif. Sif is not ready yet and won't be for many years to come. The recent events were powerful enough to move our encrusted society a little forward, give Low Men and women a little more rights. What you did tonight could destroy it all." Everything he said hit me harder than the whip of my father and I felt very much ashamed. He sighed again. "It happened in public and I do not have the wonderful mental gifts Egill or Tyr have to make them forget." He stabbed his finger in Elena's direction. "And you are neither trained or gifted enough to do that." Elena cried. "We meant no harm. Eric's mind is so much at peace when he can be Freya! No one would have noticed or recognized him!" He nodded. "Thankfully no one but the Security guards and the doctor have. I am not blaming you for what you are or what you desire,[ET13] Eric. I do not understand it, but you find in me the most open-minded person, and if I were younger I might even try it for a change, but this planet is at the brink of a new future and a better one for everyone. Hasvik is suddenly alive again with many applicants, both girls and boys from all walks of life and social standing. The fighting schools are overwhelmed with young women wanting to emulate Sif, and the Elders are discussing openly how to integrate a few women into the circle of Elders. All this is thanks to Egill and you." I tried to make my voice sound firm, but failed. "What can we do?" He said, "Carl has killed Tyr, your brother, so it won't come to a court case that anyone could watch on GalNet, where you would have to appear as witness. Siegfrida will also take care of the Security Guard. He will have an accident; she is very good at those things. No one will suspect Tyr's death as anything else than a suicide. For the Union the case is closed and they won't release any security footage or names to the public. That was all we could do, but I don't like having to kill people to protect your secret. In a week school ends for summer break and your basic school is finally over, and Mr. Valthim will make you a proto-citizen. After that you will leave Nilfeheim. Out there you can be Freya to your heart's content, Eric, but not on Nilfeheim, at least not for a few decades to come!" I nodded. "I will do that!" "You wanted to leave anyway and join the Fleet. Now you leave a little early. It will give you time to travel a little." He leaned back and smiled a weak smile. "I know you did not mean any harm and I can attest you look fabulous as Freya. Your clan could not be in better hands. Elena will make a great Clan chief and break another barrier, and you can trust her." She took my hand and said, "Yes, you can. I promise." ‚Äì""--[ET14] The next day I went to the Clinic and asked for an appointment with Dr. Dwyer. After a short wait, I was seen by the old Terran doctor. it was hard to actually tell him what my problem was. To actually put it in words was more embarrassing than I realized, but I told him and he listened to my problem. He leaned back and said, "What you call a disease or a sickness is a psychological disorder that occurs in genetically predestined people, well at least in your case. I checked your DNA and found you have all the triggers necessary for it to occur, and this, combined with your traumatic childhood, most likely caused this[ET15] . “[ET16] It is very rare in this form in the Union in general. The DNA triggers are usually recognized early and in prenatal care, and if the parents agree they are removed. About a thousand years ago it became so popular that you could find a Gender Change Studio in every mall across the Union, but some made the changes every other week and that led to wave of suicides and psych problems." He folded his hands and leaned back. "It is still perfectly legal and easy to change one’s gender and there is no law or cultural requirement that tells you how to dress or how to feel or to what gender you feel associated or attracted. There are so many [ET17] more curious things out there; it would not even raise an eyebrow on most other worlds." "Can I get rid of it?" His face became serious. "Every Psycho Surgeon would jump in and say ‘Yes, of course, a little psycho surgery will forever cure you of this desire.’" I said" Why is it then you do not recommend it?" He sighed. "With all our knowledge and all our advancements in medicine, the human psyche is still not completely understood--even [ET18] if the Psycho hacks say otherwise. It will forever change your personality, Eric. You would no longer be you! Whatever you think about your desire, it is part of you and you should aim to find an answer, a balance, or perhaps a place to live that is less restrictive. I have seen the results of Psycho Surgery and without exception they all turned out to be smiling and happy but totally empty and hollow. They would display whatever personality the Psycho Surgeon thought would be good. This is my professional opinion on Psycho Surgery and I cannot recommend it with a clear consciousness to anyone. All this said, I have not even touched the meta-physical aspects of soul, higher awareness, and spirituality." "It almost destroyed everything I had gained last year and it might bar me from entering the Academy!" "I am sure they have your Medical School Exams on file ever since you signed up and they also saw the triggers. The specialists looking over those applications and files are not fringe-world MDs but Fleet-level scientists. They would have rejected you if this would be a handicap. However I can tell you that if you opt for Psycho Surgery, it would most certainly bar you from ever becoming a Commanding Officer; that I know for a fact." Interlude: Every fifth Nutho-Cycle, which was a calculated time fragment of a Galactic Year and maybe three or four times in the life of a Dai Than, all the tribes would meet at Thana-Soo, the remnant of their once proud and beautiful home world, officially destroyed so long ago by the ferocious hordes of the Y'All. Why it was really destroyed was part of the Forbidden Past and perhaps only the Pale Ones knew the truth. Nothing but fragments of the planet remained, one such fragment, the continent sized Nak-Thana-Shoo--meaning the heart of Thana-Shoo--was the site of that meeting. No outsider, no one not Dai had ever seen this place. During four Nutho Cycles this place was abandoned, except for the mystical Pale Ones that guarded this place, but at the end of the fifth cycle the system would fill with the fleets of every Dai Clan. Dai Mothers and millions of ships would crowd the system. For ten Thana Shoo days, all Dai celebrated highly ritualistic festivities, traded with [ET19] each other, forged alliances, celebrated weddings and did other tribe business. The Tribal Chiefs, tribe lords, and their oldest children would come together in the stone and rock amphitheater on Nak-Thana-Shoo. A force field bubble erected over it was filled with breathable air. The Tribal Chiefs brought forth their most formidable warriors to pit [ET20] them against each other in highly regulated and deeply traditional fight events. The warrior who won the most fights was then called Champion of Thana Shoo and it was an honor like no other. Tar Kar-Hi, the high Tribe lord of the Hi Dai Than stood in his Tribe’s stair section of the amphitheater and looked over the many other Dai Than tribal Lords, either already in their sections or on their way to them, it was an impressive sight, but in truth it was a sad one. There were still many Tribe Lords but nowhere the number there once were. Many seats remained empty and there were already more empty seats than occupied ones. Bor Hat-Je, an old friend, walked over to him and greeted him by putting his hands on both of Tar-Kar's shoulders and Tar did the same to him. "Good to lay hands on your shoulders again, my old friend, Bor Hat. How did the endless darkness treat you and your tribe over the past Nutho Cycles?" Bor Hat looked like a brother to Tar Ka, both tall and athletic despite their age. Their arms bulged with sinew and rock-hard muscles, their skin bright red and the black hair slicked back into a very tight pony tail pulling the already angular arched black eyebrows even further up. Clad in deep red, almost maroon colored leather suits with intricate stitching and carvings, lined beneath with micro mesh armor and fully seal-able in seconds to become a functional space suit, each of them carried a vast arsenal of blades, guns, mini bombs and other weapons openly as well as hidden all around their bodies. Prominent were the double swords across their backs. These single-edged mono filament swords were not just traditional decoration of ancient past but terrible weapons wielded by perhaps the best sword masters in the Galaxy. Where the leather cross-straps of their chest harness met was a circular metal disc decorated with the Tribal [ET21] glyph, and behind it the disc shaped Alti-karr knife. Mastery of this throwing weapon was practiced by the Dai from as soon as they could walk, and they developed a deadly accuracy with it. The best experts could make it bounce off walls and ceilings to decapitate a being twenty meters distant and around a corner. Above and to the left, in a richly tooled and decorated knife sheath, was the Okthi-karr, a knife which should never be drawn, as it was only meant for ritual homicide of a family member that brought shame to the Tribe. And on the other strap was Nak-Karr, the one to end shame, the knife meant to commit suicide in case of any dishonor. Hat-Je kept his hands on Kar-Hi's shoulders. "The hunting is more difficult and more dangerous than it ever was. I must decide after this Meeting if I will relocate to the distant low sector or take the secret way that the Golden offer to another Galaxy altogether." He then used one hand gesturing over the theater. "Look at this, old friend. [ET22] When it began, 75,000 tribal Chiefs filled these ranks. Today there are fewer [ET23] than 8,000 thousand Tribes left! Our mighty civilization is dying." Kar-Hi, who had thought in very similar lines said, "Mur-Yuu-Hr, the one we always called the truly tall one, have you heard of him? I do not see him present." Hat-Je also looked over the seats and said, "I was thinking the same thing just a moment ago, and yes I remember Yuu-Hr. I cannot see him yet; he must be late." A Tribal chief one step behind them, Kar-Hi recognized him as Are-We, an old and experienced chief, said to them, "No, he won't come. He met the USS Devastator and that cursed Wasteland Demon Stahl. Another Dai Mother destroyed with many children, women, the old and young gone. The Mur-Hr Tribe is no more, and so are two others I know." Kar-Hi was not to proud to show his sadness as he heard about this and added his own bad news "The Union is getting more powerful every cycle, not only did they add the Klack but you heard the Attican Commonwealth has joined. All 96 member civilizations went along." A fourth Tribal leader joined their small, impromptu conference. His name was Tar Bas-Co, his thumbs hooked in his belt. "The Attikans have been Union members for a good while now. I heard your words and I am only here because I retreated!" He hung his head. "I retreated and still lost two-thirds of my fleet. My Mother barely made it into free space severely damaged. I am broken, as it is too much loss, too much damage for me to rebuild!" [ET24] Kar-Hi put his hands on Bas-Co's shoulders. "Then join my tribe. I shall welcome you as foremost Lord among all families in my Tribe." "A member of the Hi tribe I am then, so be it!" Their little group had swollen to about twenty Tribal chiefs when Kar-Hi said. "We cannot fight the Union, not even if we combine all clans into one fleet. It would be a mighty battle and cost them much, but they would still prevail and then there be no Dai Than." Everyone in their round agreed. One of them said. "You are known to be wise and your tribe is without question the biggest. I will listen to your counsel[ET25] , but what are we to do? We do not have planets like other races. We do not want to settle down. We are Dai Than. We are warriors; we lost Thana Shoo so long ago; we are a space born race ever since." Another one said, "Maybe we must find a world and settle it. It is not our way but it will guarantee the survival of our kind!" Kar-Hi said. "I see our numbers dwindle. What good are our best ships against the Terran Translocator cannons? Our best shields cannot stop these cursed weapons. The Kermac have so many [ET26] more resources, and yet they have not found a way in 1500 years to defend against it. The Nul--no one here will deny their strength and fighting powers--they will never admit it in the open, but they fear the Union and most of all the Terrans." Hat-Je frowned. "I dislike the Kermac most, of all space-born civilizations, but I tend to agree with them. The Sarans committed a terrible crime unleashing these barbarians upon the Galaxy. No species fights wars like them. They are not warriors, no. They are born soldiers. Soldiers are not much good without a leader. Unfortunately for us and the rest of the galaxy they have the very best. I am not impressed by their cannons and torpedoes, however I have the deepest respect for the one they call the Eternal Warrior." Bas-Co held up his six-fingered hand. "The Xunx, the Freons, the Ferons, the mighty Alakarr, the Piostla all were mighty empires and advanced species before the Terrans ascended. You will not find a single member of any of these species alive today. They dared to stand against the Terrans and paid the price, and I do not have enough fingers and toes to count all the species and civilizations perished and wiped out by the Union’s mighty onslaught." Another Clan chief added, "Don't forget the Y'All. It was the Union and their Terran chief who not only stopped them but wiped them out." Kar-Hi crossed his arms behind his back. "The Shiss were once one of the most feared warrior races are now a shadow of their former might. But the Purple throat Shiss, they thrive. And do you know why?" One Tribal Chief said, "They joined the Union." "Yes, they did. As you know the Shiss traditionally expanded their Empire by sending their lowest caste, the Purple Throats, with virtually no support to the most harsh and barely suitable planets, and if they managed to survive and build a successful, thriving colony, the Higher color throats took over, reaped in the benefits and made the Purple throats their slaves. About eight or ten cycles ago, a region of space with 32 Purple throat Colonies developed a very nice little empire of their own, built up from scratch and they wanted to keep what they had built and rebelled. The Upper caste Shiss sent war ships and destroyed one colony with orbital bombardment. Was this the end of the Purple Throats? No! They asked the Union for help. It was granted right away. The next time the Upper caste Shiss came to make another example, they were faced by Union Battle ships, and I know there is no one here who hasn't seen those sleek wedge shaped behemoths in action. The Purple Throats became Union Members. "Today these colonies are thriving, and would be a great prize for any of us!" "And today there are Shiss Captains commanding Union Battle ships!" said Bas-Co. "Facing these ferocious lizards was never easy, but with them commanding Union ships ... I lost half my Tribe to the USS Hyperion under the command of Captain Zezzazzzzz, a Purple Throat Shiss!" There was silence, now as over sixty Tribal Chiefs stood in a circle and Cam Elf-Na, who hated Kar-Hi as he had lost to him 10 Nutho Cycles ago the title of Champion, said aloud. "Go stand in the middle of the Heart so all can hear your words. It seems you have the answers!" Kar-Hi went down the stairs, past his oldest son, Har-Hi, who a day before had won the right to call himself Champion, looked into his son’s eyes and knew that he needed to say what he had contemplated for so long. His son and the generations to come had a right to live and assure the survival of the Dai Than. He reached the center of the Amphitheater and spoke. "Look around you. Look beside you and recognize the many empty seats once occupied by the likes of us. “There are more now than there were at the last meeting and there will be more during the next. “Not even a fool or a blind Dai can deny this steady decline. The day when no one will return to Thana Shoo is not so distant if we let this go on. “We are a mighty race and few equal us in fighting skills and valor, but it takes us much longer to build ships as we take the resources we need from others. This is our way! They call us Dai Pirates and equate us with criminals. It mattered little to us what others called us in the past, but now we are facing an enemy who kills and destroys any Dai on sight, be it a single individual or an entire Tribe. There is not one among us who can deny the enemy’s ships grow bigger and stronger, their weapons and shields get better, and their territory expands every time you hear. What was Free space yesterday suddenly is Union Space. And not just the Union; the Kermac and their thrall species also make it harder for us to take what we need. He saw that many who listened nodded. "Those who know me will attest I am no coward and have fought many hard battles both in the Arena and with my ships, but I too did not manage to attain all the resources I needed to feed my Tribe, to build new ships or find the leisure to pause and give scientists a chance to research and improve our technology." He came to the hardest part of his speech, and he knew it would change his fate and that of his clan forever and most likely would change Dai Than history forever, but he steeled himself. "One Nutho Cycle ago, an epidemic disease of unknown origin was killing many of my tribe and my Medical Staff did not know what to do to stop it. I decided to cross Union Space to reach Kartanian space in the hope their scientists had a solution or cure. Going around Union space would have taken too long. There was dead silence in the ranks of the Chiefs as they listened to Kar-Hi's story. "I was less than a Light Nutho away from Kartanian space when we were engaged by the USS Devastator and five Union Battle ships, part of their First Fleet, with the rest of it approaching fast! Our worst enemy hailed us to surrender and I simply told him, that I was not out to attack a colony or planetary system, but needed urgent medical help from the Kartanian. Do you know what our worst enemy did then?" It was Bas-Co who spoke. "He is our worst enemy but he has honor. He let you pass." "No,[ET27] my friend, he offered a Flag of truce and six Union Hospital ships arrived within the hour. Within the same day they had isolated the cause and treated every one of us. There was not one word of hate or disrespect spoken by any of them and not a single weapon or bomb had been brought to our ships. They simply accepted my word that I would honor the truce as well! After that he let us pass." A Clan chief that Kar-Hi did not know said "I will leave this meeting right now. My tribe too suffers from a deadly fever we cannot control. I do not care if you call me a coward or a traitor, or even Okthi-Dai! I will ask the Union for help. My Tribe’s well being-comes first!" Many agreed. but many called that chief Okthi-Dai, Outcast! Kar-Hi raised his arms and it became quiet again. "We have three options as a species. We can leave this region of space and see if we can find better conditions in unknown regions far from here; we can continue to fight and raid and be decimated and go the same way as the Xunx, the Freons and all the others; or we can do as the Purple Throat Shiss did and join the Union. I was assured that on the day we Dai become members, our past will be forgotten and a new chapter is written. Instead of being decimated by Translocator cannons, we will have them aboard our ships; and if there is one thing to be said about the Terrans and the Union, they keep picking fights--and we can do what we always do, with our ships refurbished, repaired, equipped with their marvelous instantaneous communication--and fight … while our children, the old, and our families are safe. It is the most important duty of a Clan Chief to ensure the survival and well-being of its tribe, and in a wider sense of our kind. There is no greater task and no goal more important. I have made that decision for my tribe. You may join me or call me Okthi-Dai but after this Meeting my tribe will head for Union space." Almost instantly about fifteen hundred clan chiefs got up and marched down and then stood behind Kar-Hi. The rest however started chanting Okthi-Dai, led into the chant by Kar-Hi's old rival, Cam Elf-Na. His old rival now raised his hands and the chanting died down. "By the ancient traditions, this place is sacred and only ritual fights may be fought. So you and your cowardly followers may leave, but as soon as you have left this most holy of places and you are beyond our old suns circle we will hunt you down and destroy every one of you, as there is nothing more disgusting than an Okthi-Dai who is alive!" Kar-Hi responded. "Then so be it! Let it be known I already have applied for Union membership and I have not only gained access to free medicine but guarantees by Stahl himself that will make this a costly hunt for the intended hunter. It is not your opinion that makes me Okthi Dai. Your decision to doom what is Dai however firmly plants this term of shame upon you." Kar-Hi left the circle and then put his hands on Har-Hi's shoulder. "I have done this for you and the ones that come after you." ------- To Be Continued... ------- Posted: 2014-12-25 Last Modified: 2014-12-27 / 04:01:05 pm ------- http://storiesonline.net/ ------- ---- [ET1]The addressee, the person spoken to in a sentence, is a break in the sentence, an interruption, and is supposed to be set off fore and aft with commas (or a period at the end). In many languages this "vocative" usage has a special form or ending, as in Julius Caesar's comment to Brutus in Shakespeare's play, "Et tu Brute?" Brute is the vocative form in Latin and needs no comma. In English we have no vocative form, but use commas to separate the name. This way we don't have confusion that could arise from "Arrest Lieutenant Olafson immediately" when I mean "Arrest, Lieutenant, Olafson immediately." I did not comment on this when I corrected some earlier, now I'll just say "vocative" so you will know what I mean. [ET2]The addressee, the person spoken to in a sentence, is a break in the sentence, an interruption, and is supposed to be set off fore and aft with commas (or a period at the end). In many languages this "vocative" usage has a special form or ending, as in Julius Caesar's comment to Brutus in Shakespeare's play, "Et tu Brute?" Brute is the vocative form in Latin and needs no comma. In English we have no vocative form, but use commas to separate the name. This way we don't have confusion that could arise from "Arrest Lieutenant Olafson immediately" when I mean "Arrest, Lieutenant, Olafson immediately." I did not comment on this when I corrected some earlier, now I'll just say "vocative" so you will know what I mean. [ET3]The addressee, the person spoken to in a sentence, is a break in the sentence, an interruption, and is supposed to be set off fore and aft with commas (or a period at the end). In many languages this "vocative" usage has a special form or ending, as in Julius Caesar's comment to Brutus in Shakespeare's play, "Et tu Brute?" Brute is the vocative form in Latin and needs no comma. In English we have no vocative form, but use commas to separate the name. This way we don't have confusion that could arise from "Arrest Lieutenant Olafson immediately" when I mean "Arrest, Lieutenant, Olafson immediately." I did not comment on this when I corrected some earlier, now I'll just say "vocative" so you will know what I mean. [ET4]vocative [ET5]vocative [ET6]vocative [ET7]appositive set off fore and aft w. commas [ET8]appositive [ET9]vocative [ET10]vocative [ET11]vocative [ET12]vocative [ET13]vocative [ET14]I think this was intended as a section break. [ET15]The two "this" in the sentence both refer to something different. Try to edit so you have "this" only refering to the same thing within the same paragraph. [ET16]When one person speaks for more than one paragraph, do not end the paragraph with a quotation mark (as you did) but do begin the next paragraph with a quotation mark. [ET17]many is about plural individual things; much is about big, single things [ET18]The old-fashioned, typewriter way of making a "dash" was with two hyphens. It is also the way in text and ascii. The format for n-dash and m-dash, more commonly used today, can easily get lost across platforms and wind up being only a hyphen. On SOL, a dash that you submit comes out a hyphen. And that is confusing for readers. A hyphen connects things (such as two word parts into a compound) but a dash separates (such as an oath or an aside or some extraneous information). When I type on paper, I usually use an m-dash (and sometimes an n-dash), but when I send emails or anything that might lose its formatting across applications or platforms, I use the text format, --. If you want to take a chance here, maybe use an m-dash and put a space fore and aft of the dash (not proper to do so, but...) so if it is translated as a short hyphen, at least the reader has a better chance of recognizing it as a dash than if it is postioned between two words. [ET19]"Among" is used with many; "with each other" indicates two are trading at a time. If you want "among" then you might say "traded among others" [ET20]or "and pitted" [ET21]this dash on SOL, mis-translated in my copy, should be deleted anyway, unless it means something more than "tribal glyph" [ET22]vocative [ET23]"fewer" is used with numbers of individual items; "less" is used with a smaller amount of an item. We have less weaponry in our arsenal; fewer bows and far fewer arrows. [ET24]Every new speaker gets a new paragraph. This helps the reader keep track of dialogue. [ET25]counsel is advice; council is the meeting of advisors/deciders [ET26]many for plurals, much for singulars. [ET27]vocative Category:Erik Thread - Edits Category:Fragments